You are here: HomeResearch & EducationResearch Abstracts An Exploration of the ways in which Individuals reconstruct their Sense of Self following Acquired Brain Injury: A Comparative Study of Individuals with Acquired Brain Injury and Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury

The HR Leadership & Management Awards 2015 celebrate excellence in HR and recognise that it will be key to the future prosperity of the Irish economy.

These awards have been launched to recognise the emerging role of HR as a strategic management tool which, if correctly aligned with organisational business objectives, will underpin both organisational effectiveness and sustainability.

The specially designed award categories celebrate the leaders and thinkers at the cutting-edge of HR in Ireland and will reflect the main areas of excellence in the industry.

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An Exploration of the ways in which Individuals reconstruct their Sense of Self following Acquired Brain Injury: A Comparative Study of Individuals with Acquired Brain Injury and Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the specific ways in which individuals reconstruct their sense of self following brain injury, by comparing individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI) and individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), two groups that have experienced a sudden-onset injury with life-changing repercussions.

Design: Phenomenological qualitative research Participants, methods and procedures: Nine individuals with ABI and ten individuals with SCI took part in an interview exploring the ways in which individuals reconstruct their sense of self following injury. Data were analysed using interpretative thematic analysis. Main outcomes and results: Findings showed similar themes identified within the interview data of the ABI and SCI groups. Both groups developed positive and negative self-narratives. Individuals employed strategies that facilitated the reconstruction of positive self-narratives. In addition individuals described their sense of self as simultaneously continuous and changing.

Conclusions: The findings are discussed in relation to previous research and implications for clinical practice.